Drawing on family history, folklore, and personal experiences, Helen Edwards crafts a story of resilience, self-acceptance, and care for our oceans. Helen also shares upcoming projects also bringing into focus topics of Australian history, wildlife, and folklore. 

What do you love about writing children’s books?

I love the adventure, freedom to play with story ideas and imagination and the ability to focus on issues like working out who you are, friendship and learning about the world around you.

What inspired you to write this story?

A number of things! Firstly, my great-great aunt Ida Benson Lynn. She was an incredible woman and ocean conservationist. The Ida Benson Lynn Endowed Chair in Ocean Health was established in 1998 for research into ocean health at the University of Santa Cruz. Secondly, my grandmothers who were both born on islands in the Irish Sea — Walney Island and The Isle of Man. And then the stunning environment on Kangaroo Island. I knew I had a lighthouse story to write, but it wasn't until we visited Kangaroo Island and toured the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse that I knew it would be set there. Finally my fascination with selkie stories.

Did you have any personal experiences that contributed to this book?

Very much. The main character Mona McKenna is named after my two grandmothers. The Isle of Man and Walney island are important to the story. And I was diagnosed in 1979 with type 1 diabetes and drew on my personal experience of this for Mona's story.

Legend of the Lighthouse Moon includes themes of grief, self-hate, and illness. What was it like to write about these things?

As I had grown up with type 1 diabetes and dealt with many of the issues Mona experiences, it was a personal journey to get the story accurate and true to both type 1 diabetes management at the time and to Mona's character. I also worked in diabetes and mental health for 16 years and had spoken to many people living with diabetes. Their experiences also contributed to the story.

Did you find anything particularly challenging or fulfilling about writing this book?

It was challenging making sure that I got the history of the lighthouse accurate and that I learned about sea lions and their behaviours. There was a lot of research and interviews to get these things right! I spoke with people who had lived and worked at Cape Willoughby lighthouse in the 1970s as well as experts on sea lions. I love learning new things, especially about history and the environment, so that was very fulfilling. It was also a positive experience for me to include a character with type 1 diabetes. I wanted to make sure Mona was empowered and that her diabetes was part of her, rather than the focus of the story. The magical and historical elements are just as important.

This story draws on the true history of Cape Willoughby Lighthouse. Is there anything you found most fascinating about this landmark?

It was all fascinating! Learning how the lighthouse worked back in the early days and into the 1970s, speaking with the last assistant light keeper and his wife, who came to the book launch! Seeing how isolated they were and yet how much everyone spoke about the freedom and magic of living at a lighthouse. Everyone said they would love to go back in time and be there again. 

Do you have any favourite legends or folktales from Kangaroo Island?

Not from there, but the selkie legends from where my grandmothers were born are woven into this story with an Australian slant. I can't tell you any more about this!

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

The magic of nature and the importance of caring for our oceans. How interesting history is. That no matter what happens in life, you can find your way through. That you can always reach out and tell someone your troubles and to not feel that you are alone.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

Yes! My next middle-grade historical fiction novel is coming out on 2nd April. It's called On Gallant Wings. It's a sweeping WWII story about family, courage, and knowing when to break the rules. As the war comes dangerously close to home, 13-year-old Ava Birdwhistle will be pushed to the brink, as she faces a world where the rules have changed, and battles to stay connected to family, and her beloved pigeon Essie. From the bombing of Darwin, to the top secret Catalina Flying Boat Base at Lake Boga, and the stories of the men and women of the RAAF and WAAAF who worked there, to the internment of Japanese people, and the brave pigeons of the Australian Corps of Signals Pigeon Service, On Gallant Wings brings together many little-known aspects of how WWII affected Australia at home. 

My next novel after that is coming in August 2025 is co-written with award-winning author Kate Gordon. It's a magical story called The Disappearing Circus. I am also working on another book in my Seafaring Stories series which features the wreck of the ship the S.S Admella and the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, and a contemporary adventure along the lines of the National Treasure movies, set in a wildlife rescue park. And there are a few manuscripts with my publisher — a fantasy novel that is a love story to trees — The Forest Keepers, and the first book in a junior fiction series.